Guiding device for conveyer-belts.



S. D, SIBLEY. GUIDING DEVICE FOR CONVEYER BELTS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24, 1915- Patented July 25, 1916.

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SAMUEL 1). SIBLEY, or. DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY MEsNE ASSIGNMENTS, To sEMET-soLVAY COMPANY, or. SOLVAY, NEW YORK, A CoRPORATION or NEW YORK.

GUTDING DEVICE FOR CONVEYER-BELTS.

Speeificatio etters Patent. Patented July 25, 1916,

Application filed June 24,1915. Serial No. 36,046.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL D. SIBLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Guiding Device for Conveyor-Belts, of which the following is a specification.

As is well known in the operation of conveyer belts, usually troughed, on which loads of material are carried, it isdifficult to keep the belt properly centered on the supporting idlers, as it has a tendency to Work to one side or the other. This sidewise motion of the belt has been heretofore prevented by rollers adapted to bear against the edges of the belt. The friction of the belt against these, however, causes material wear of the belt edge and its ultimate destruction.

The object of my improvements is to obviate this difiiculty and provide a means for centering or guidingthe beltautomatically and without wear. This I accomplish by means of idlers located on opposite sides of and underneath the belt, upon which the belt rests in its travel. These are so mounted that, when the belt begins to move to one side or the other from its central line of travel, the idlers are caused, by the action of the belt, to take such a position in relation thereto, that the rotary motement of the idlers operates to shift the belt back to its 1 proper position.

The invention willbe best understood by reference to the accompanymg drawings,

illustrating an embodiment thereof, Figure 1 of which shows'a plan View of the device partially in section on the line 1-1, Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 shows a partial section on the line- 2-2, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 shows'a sectional view on the line 33, Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, A, indicates a conveyer belt supported in the usual manner upon idlers (not shown in the drawings). Along the sides of and underneath the belt, A, are located guiding idlers, B, B, associated in pairs and so positioned that when the belt is in its normal centered position it rests equally and, preferably, upon a part only of the bearing surface of each of the idlers. The idlers, B, B, are carried on shafts, C, C, which at their lower ends are pivotally mounted and free to rotate in sockets, d, 0?, formed in, or secured to, a support, D. The shafts, C, C, are curved or positioned in such manner that when they are rotated in their sockets the idlers carried same extent, be swung in the opposite direc-.

tion.

The operation of the device is as follows: Normally, when the belt is properly centered, it will lie to the same extent on each of the idlers, B, B, and thebearing surfaces of these Will be in a plane at right angles to the center line of the belt. If new the belt begins to move to one side or the other and, hence, to creep up one of the idlers as, B, more of the bearing surface of the idler, B, will be contacted by the belt and less of that of the idler,'B. Thus a greater weight is put on the idler, B, and this is swung forward in the direction of movement of the belt, such swinging being permitted through the rotation of the shaft, C, in its bearing' At the same time through the action of the arms, 6, e, and the connecting rod, E, the idler, B, is swung to the same extent in the opposite direction. The bearing surfaces of the idlers, B, B, instead of being in a plane at right angles to the center line of the belt, now lie at an angle thereto and the direction of rotation of the idler, B, is toward the center line of the belt and that of the idler, B, away therefrom, so that the action of both idlers is to move the belt back to its central line of travel until it is properly centered. When the belt is centered the idlers resume their normal position because of the increased pressure on the idler, B. In case the belt creeps up on the idler, B, a reverse movement of the idlers takes place and the belt is moved back to its central line of travel, in the same manner as above .described.

In order to quickly correct any abnormal side movement of the belt of such extent as to cause it to move entirely across one or the other of the idlers, B, B, I provide auxiliary pulleys, b, 7), which are rotatably mounted on the shafts, C, C, at the outer ends of the idlers, B, B. Each of the pulleys, b, b, is

provided-with a clutch member, 0, 0, which are held, as by means of coiled springs, S, in

engagement with corresponding clutch members, or equivalent holding means, 0, 0, rigidly secured to the shafts, C, C, so that the pulleys, b, I), cannot be rotated, or can be rotated only with difficulty, so long as the clutch members are engaged. In case the belt moves so far to one side as to contact with one or the other of the pulleys, as b, the friction of the belt on the surface of the non-rotating pulley operates to quickly swing the shaft, C, and idler, B, into angular relation with the belt. As the pulley is swung around, so that its axis is no longer at right angles to the center line of the belt, the friction ofthe belt on its surface pushes it forward so as to disengage the clutch members. The pulley then revolves, thus preventing abrasion of the belt and assisting the idler, B, in centering the belt, until the belt has moved off the pulley. When the belt rides up onto the corresponding pOulley, e the" b, on the other side, the action will same but in the opposite direction. Preferably the pulleys, b, b, are made'of wood or other non-abrasive material. means of my invention any sidewise movement of the belt is automatically corrected and the belt is kept to a central line of travel, the advantages of which will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a conveyer belt,

' of a guiding idler located at the side of and underneath the belt and adapted to be moved into angular relation with the belt by friction of the belt thereon, a shaft for said Thus by into angular relation with the belt by friction of the belt thereon, an independently rotatable pulley mounted on the same shaft as the idler and adapted to be contacted by the belt when the latter, in departing from its center line of travel, moves entirely across the idler, and means for retarding the rotation of the pulley.

3. The combination with a conveyer belt, of a guiding idler located at the side of and underneath the belt and adapted to be moved into angular relation with the belt by friction of the belt thereon, an independentl rotatable pulley mounted on the same shaft as the idler and adapted to be contacted "by the belt when the latter in departing from its center line of travel moves entirely across the idler, means for retarding or preventing the rotation of the pulley when in its normal position, and means for causing the pulley to rotate when its axis is moved into gnlgular relation with the center line of the In testimony whereof,- I have hereunto subscribed my name, this 15 day of June A. D., 1915.

SAMUELYD. SIBLEY.

Witnesses:

FRANK W. WHITE, WM. H. Ransom. 

